


Hush Little Sparkling

by Vartheta999



Series: Strays AU Side Stories [2]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Attempted Murder, F/M, Murder, Near Death, Original Character Death(s), Partner Betrayal, Transformer Sparklings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-12 03:17:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20557343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vartheta999/pseuds/Vartheta999
Summary: The story of how Nitrobolt came into Nightshade and Onyx's livesStory can be also found inWhere Did That Come From? Let's Find Out





	Hush Little Sparkling

“_ Hush Little Sparkling, don't say a word _ ….” A short, armored navy blue mech with a small mustache sang softly as he cradled the small electric blue and white sparkling in his arms. “ _ Sire's going to get you a turbofox. And if that turbofox runs away _….”

The sparkling yawned as it's optics struggled to stay open, snuggling into his sire for warmth.

“_ You'll still be the sweetest little sparkling in the world…. _ that's right, shh shhh shhhh _ ….” _

He chirped happily before yawning again, his optics officially closing, and shortly, he was fast asleep.

The mech continued to cradle him and smiled, “Goodnight, Nex.”

“You still at it with that thing, Circuit Splitter?”

Circuit Splitter frowned, looking up from Nex to see another mech, who was bright green with blue highlights, scowling at him, “This _ 'thing' _ is a sparkling and he has a name. You gave it to him, you should remember it. His name is Nex. Don't you have Decepticons to fight?”

“Oh, right….For a moment, I thought it was '_Heathen' _,” He snickered. “And I just came back. I expected to get a little bit of attention, but your wasting time with—”

“Why do you even bother being around?” Circuit scowled, talking very quietly to not wake up Nex. “All you've done is complain ever since he was sparked. You've never tried to bond with him—”

“You haven't given me the chance.”

“I have, Axelrod, and you either ignore him or '_ accidentally' _ harm him. The last time I left you two alone you _ 'confused' _ high grade for low grade, for Primus sake!” He said angrily. “It's like you're trying to kill him!”

“He's bound to get killed anyway, what with this war and all,” Axelrod replied bluntly. “I would've done it a favor—”

“Again, his name is Nex, you….” Circuit sighed. “....We're through."

“What!?" Axelrod barked. "Why!?"

“I don't love you anymore, Axelrod!” He shouted, turning away. “Your behavior towards Nex….the way you treat him like he's an abomination….that's driven me away. If you had actually started treating him better, if you actually had made an effort to love him, you would have seen what an amazing little sparkling he is. But you haven't and so we're through."

Axelrod gasped, "You're not serious, are you!? We made an oath to each other—"

"I don't care if we're bonded," Circuit cut him off angrily. "You aren't the person I gave my spark to! I'm not going to let you come near my son again, do you understand?!"

Nex stirred and whimpered, Circuit quickly regaining his composure and calming him while Axelrod stood there, burning his back with his hard gaze.

For a moment, there was silence. A long, unending, sickening silence.

Circuit heard Axelrod muttering angrily under his breath.

“You know, I have something to say to you, too,” He spoke up, walking towards him till Circuit could practically feel his EM field mixing with his own. He could feel the overwhelming anger and conflict brewing in the other mech. “I'm sorry. For everything. I'm so sorry.”

“Okay….” He replied nervously as he grew more and more afraid, clutching Nex to his chest. Something wasn't right. He couldn't run away either, he had him in a corner. “Is that all—”

Circuit resisted the urge to howl in pain as he felt something repeatedly stab him from behind. He could feel the energon leaking out of him, making a small puddle just below him.

“I'm sorry for this….I'm so sorry,” Axelrod faked sobs, sarcasm lacing his voice, pushing the blade in further. “But it has to be done.”

He twisted the blade, all the while making it sink deeper and deeper until it was at the hilt.

“Nex was supposed to be our ticket out, but he proved useless. I tried to get rid of him, but you were always there so I couldn't. I tried to coax you into leaving the war behind, but you refused. You wouldn't let me try to save you from here,” He pulled the blade out. “So I have to do this.”

He watched as Circuit sunk to his knees and fell to the ground, convulsing as the air was filled with his plethora of guttural chokes and the gasps for air while the energon flowed freely from the gaping wound in his back.

“I loved you, Circuit Splitter of Nova Cronum, may you rest in peace,” Axelrod said as an explosion could be heard not far away. “And that's my cue to leave.”

He was about to walk away, but then he suddenly heard a small whimper and then a cry. He looked back to see Nex had woken up and was crying, lubricant streaming down from his optics. He was looking up at him in fear, little arms reaching towards him for some sort of comfort.

_ How pathetic. _ He scowled, turning back around, running away. He ignored the cries from the sparkling and the chaotic scene around him of bots he had called his friends getting ripped pieces, their heads being blown off while others were riddled with blaster fire.

But that didn't matter. By the time he finally looked back, he could tell without being there that Battalion 69 was finished. He was free, he was finally free. Sure, he had to have everyone slaughtered and had to personally kill someone he was actually fond of, but who cares? They were all dead, every single one of them.

<><><><><>

“Shh...Shh_ ….” _ Circuit Splitter said weakly, trying to calm Nex. “Sire is here….”

Nex continued to quietly sob and whimper.

“You want me….to sing you a little song?” Circuit asked. A sad, little chirp was his reply. “You do?....I'm going to….sing you a song….my carrier sang to me right before….she went….to be in the Allspark….I know you'll….like it….” He coughed and cleared his vocalizer. “...._ Hello, old friend, it's good to be with you….Time is standing still. Our love shines true and bright.” _

Nex's sobs subsided and turned to small sniffles.

_ “It always will….My empty spark you fill….We still feel….forever young…. _

A small smile began to grow on his face as he tried to sing along even though he could only manage to make small chirps and clicks.

Circuit smiled and stroked the side of his face and Nex grabbed his finger with his much smaller hands. _ “Looking back, we're just the same….As we were when….we began….This love….will keep protecting us….Reach for me, and I'll take your hand….” _

Nex yawned and nuzzled his sire as he began to fall asleep.

“_ ....When we're apart, just close your optics….and you'll see me….waiting there….You can always count on me, I'll always be there....” _ Circuit felt his spark wrench as he pulled Nex closer to him and he began to cry himself. He could feel his spark withering away, he wasn't gonna be here when Nex woke up. Who knows if anyone was able to call for help. He could only hope someone would find them and save Nex. _ “My little boy….you'll never fade away….the hands of time….are still….and we'll….be….forever….young….” _

His optics began to flicker and he began to feel what he could only describe as being comfortably numb. He felt a strange feeling of….euphoria wash over him, even though he was sad. His time had come.

He gazed at Nex in great pain and he gave him a small kiss on his helm. “I love….I love you, Nex. I love you so….much….remember....please...ne….ver...for...get….m….e....”

Nex yawned as he opened his optics. It was so dark, the only light was the little bit that his optics provided.

Was it day or night? Was he dreaming? Maybe his sire would know. He looked and saw he was still recharging. Weird, he was almost always awake before him.

He chirped happily and waited for him to wake up.

Nothing.

Maybe he couldn't hear him. He chirped a little louder.

Nothing.

He chirped again.

Nothing.

He chirped yet again and this time he tapped on his face.

Nothing.

What was wrong? His sire would always wake up after he did that.

Wait, he felt cold. He shouldn't feel cold, his sire was always warm. Why was did he feel cold? Cold wasn't good. Cold always meant….they weren't alive.

Nex felt his little spark sink.

Why? Why did sire die? Why did this happen? Why did carrier leave them behind? Why didn't carrier love him? Was he going to die?

He started to whimper, then he began to sob, and finally, he cried.

<><><><><>

“I'm gonna be sick….” groaned a small, young yellow mech as he gaped at the horrific scene of what once was the base camp.

There were arms, legs, and even heads scattered everywhere. Those who weren't dismembered were either mercifully impaled on metal spikes or just left on the ground.

“Onyx, I think I'm gonna….I'm gonna be sick,” He repeated and fought back the urge to purge the contents of his fuel tank. “Scratch that, I am sick.”

“I won't judge, Bumblebee, I'm sick, too.” replied a large, older black and green mech, Onyx, in disgust as he stepped over another corpse. “Nightshade, you found anything besides—”

“Shh!” a black and purple femme, Nightshade, hissed. “Do you hear that?” She asked quietly.

Bumblebee looked around, confused. “Hear what—”

His companions hissed at him to be quiet. He frowned, wondering if they were going crazy before heard something, too. It was a small, muffled cry.

The trio began to walk towards it, stopping every few seconds to make sure they were on the right track, before they stopped in front of a small pile of wreckage.

“Okay guys, let's get to work!” Nightshade said as she began to dig through it, joined a moment later by Bumblebee and Onyx. The louder the cry became, the faster they dug. Then, they saw the source and the overwhelming feeling of remorse came over the, so overwhelming in fact, they almost cried.

The saw a little sparkling, in the arms of a dead mech while tears streamed down his face as he made small, sad chirps.

“Shh….It's okay….shh shh shh,” Nightshade cooed softly as she picked him up, rocking him back and forth in her arms. “Don't cry anymore….shh….”

“He isn't like the others,” Onyx commented on the dead mech as he and Bumblebee picked him up. “The attack against him was personal.”

“How do you know?” He asked.

“Well, Bee, he was stabbed repeatedly, which indicates a lot of anger, they wanted him to suffer,” Onyx pointed to a stab wound that was significantly larger than the rest. “And right here is what really killed him. It looks like whoever did this twisted the blade….They left him to bleed out. The sparkling was probably with him and they expected him to die, too.”

“Poor little guy….” Bee scowled. “Whoever did this is going to the Pit!”

They heard Nightshade giggle and looked and saw that the little guy was trying to suckle her outstretched finger.

“Nonono….this isn't fuel….” She smiled at how he kept grabbing onto her finger for sustenance. “You're hungry, aren't you?”

He let out a frustrated chirp and made another attempt to pull it towards his mouth. Why wouldn't the nice femme feed him?

“Guys, I'm going back to base,” She said, looking at both mechs. “I'm going to get this little guy some sustenance and a checkup. I'll come right back afterward—”

“Nighty, it's okay,” Onyx reassured her. “We'll meet you there soon enough.”

“Okay, but if there's any trouble whatsoever you better call!” She said sternly. “I mean it, the last thing I want is my partner and my junior partner getting scrapped.”

Onyx rolled his optics. “Will you get going, we'll be fine. And make sure no one spots you!”

Nightshade scurried down the bridge, wary of being spotted by the enemy and the sound of blaster fire in the distance. She skidded to a halt and peered over the side of the bridge to the darkness underfoot. She looked at the sparkling in her arms. He looked back at her with wide optic innocence and he smiled at her. She smiled back.

“Listen, little buddy, I'm going to need you to hold on tight,” She said. “I need to jump to get us down there. Don't worry, it's not a long way down. But, I still need you to be brave. Okay?”

He chittered and clicked in reply.

“I hope that means yes. One. Two,” She squeezed him to her chest and prayed he wouldn't fall out. “Three!” She jumped and was surprised when instead of screaming he had begun to laugh as they plummeted down into the dark abyss.

As soon as they landed, he whined. Did it have to be over so fast?

“Don't give me that, we'll have fun later,” She scolded him playfully and ran up to a seemingly ordinary sheet of metal propped on the wall. She adjusted his weight into one arm as she used the other to feel the wall next to it until she came upon a small keypad. She typed something in and waited. A moment later, the “sheet of metal” moved aside, revealing a small tunnel.

They went in, tunnel opening-closing behind them as they tread down. They came upon a door, and she again typed into a keypad and it opened.

“This is my home, well, one of them. I’m not here all the time,” She said to him as they walked in. “I'll show you around later.”

He looked around, taking note of all the mechs and femmes. Some were by computers, others were sparring, some were playing a game with some ball, and the rest were just talking. It was almost like his old home.

“Hey, Ratchet?” She rapped her knuckles the doorless doorway when she reached the dubbed _ Medic Corner _. “Can I come in?”

“I'm not busy, not much anyways, come in,” He replied, looking up from his datapad. “You know, today has been the most relaxing and stress-free day for me in years. No one in our squadron has gotten hurt today….yet.”

“Oh, yes, I noticed the rest of the medics playing lob ball on my way here,” She noted. “Listen, Ratchet, I need a little bit of help.”

“What is it?”

“Well, you know Bee, Onyx, and I went to see 69? Well, no survivors. Except,” She carefully sat the sparkling down on a medical berth, “for him.”

“Oh my….” Ratchet set the datapad down and approached the berth. The sparkling let out a cry of distress and shifted uncomfortably the closer he got.

“Little guy, it’s okay, this is my good friend Ratchet! He’s a field medic,” Nightshade told him, rubbing circles in his back to calm him down. “I know he looks scary but he's harmless! Just one big softy, you’ll see.”

To help, Ratchet smiled softly at him and this seemed to appease him because he smiled back. Ratchet proceeded to perform a small check up on him and it turned out the little one was completely unscathed and healthy, he just needed to be fed. Ratchet left, disappearing into a back room before he returned with some low grade in a feeding bottle. He looked at Nightshade in a silent query of permission and when she gave him a nod he picked up the little one, who didn’t fight back in any way; in fact, he nuzzled him.

Ratchet chuckled at that and positioned the bottle to feed him, “Okay, little fella, here you go—”

He chirped angrily and pushed it away. Ratchet tried to feed him again, but he just pushed it away. He tried several more times, he even gave the bottle to him—this proved to be a bad idea because he was about to throw it—but he kept chirping angrily and refusing to even drink a single drop.

“Why won't he take it?” Ratchet asked, trying and failing yet again. “He's obviously hungry.”

“Can I try?” asked Nightshade, who had been watching with slight amusement.

Ratchet nodded and gave him to her along with the bottle. “Give it your best shot.”

“Okay, little buddy….come one,” She coaxed softly. “You need to—”

To both their surprise, he eagerly pulled the bottle towards him and began happily suckling. In a matter of minutes, he had downed the thing and he pushed the bottle away, snuggling into Nightshade.

“Well, he seemed to love that….huh,” She murmured puzzled, and put the bottle down and began to bounce him in her arms until he let out a small burp. “Why wasn't he like that with you?”

“He does seem rather attached to you,” Ratchet replied.

“Well, I was the first to pick him up.”

“Where did you find him?”

“Buried under some debris,” She answered, letting the little one latch onto her hand. “He was in the arms of whom we believe was his creator, a mech, and crying. The creator is, unfortunately, offline.”

“That probably had something to do with it. He was distressed and you offered him comfort and safety, adding that you likely held him your whole journey here near your spark, he's imprinted on you,” Ratchet figured.

“What does that mean?”

The medic tisked, “Looks like someone didn’t read the medical books I’ve been sending.”

“No, I did I just….hold on I remember. When a young sparkling imprints on another person or persons after the loss of creators, either by death or abandonment, when they sense they'd found a suitable replacement for said creators. That is of course in theory since no one can ever really know what goes through the mind of someone so young and it's mainly a notion. Though, there's evidence because often their little sparks change to share a similar signature to the one they….wait,” Nightshade looked at the little one in her arms, happily babbling and blowing small bubbles in his mouth. He stopped and looked at her, a smile growing on his face and his optics appearing to glow brighter. “Me? He wants me?”

“It would seem that way. You should really figure out what you want to do with him before it runs too deep….” He advised before picked up his datapad again and continued to read.

"Oh boy…." She breathed out before she left the medbay, walking into the quarters adjacent to it. It belonged to Ratchet but he never used it so he lent it to her and Onyx whenever they'd come around to visit.

She laid the sparkling on the berth and, after making sure to put up barriers to ensure he wouldn't roll off, she began to pace back and forth, immersing herself in deep thought.

"I don't think you got good judgment, little buddy. No offense, but I can't be your creator. I'm a Wrecker! I live on explosions and action! I eat grenades for breakfast with a side of Decepticon!" She declared proudly, pumping her fist in the air. "We agreed—my mechfriend Onyx and I—we wouldn't have a kid until after we've bonded. That's not for a few….a year actually; Primus, time really does fly….this war is still going on, too. Yup, no kids for us anytime soon, plus our job's too dangerous for us to have you. I don't want you to lose another creator….I know how hard it was for me."

She paused to look down at him. He had somehow sat himself up and was sucking on his thumb as he stared at her expectantly, happiness playing in his bright optics.

Nightshade sighed, "But I still had Ratchet, he basically adopted me, and Orion, er, Optimus….he went from being like my big brother to becoming almost another sire to me. However, you….you don't have anyone. Primus, you don't have anybody, they're all dead!"

A sparkling center, safely _ off-world _, is where he should go….but it's where he'd spend most of his young life until the foreseeable future. Sure, he'd possibly get adopted eventually but at the rate the war was going no one was getting adopted anytime soon. And a majority of those sparklings had someone to reunite with eventually, even the many of the orphans had someone.

He had no one….but her and, by association to her, Onyx.

He had already become extremely attached to her in such a short time, silently declaring her to be one of his new creators. She was attached to him in a way she couldn't explain; something about the little one told her that he should belong with her and Onyx, despite her internal protests. 

But she and Onyx couldn't handle a kid! Could they? No! Maybe?

Why was this so hard!?

It didn't help that the little guy was staring at her with his bright, beautiful baby blue optics and the most adorable little smile on his face, reaching up for her to pick him up again.

She hesitated and stepped back, away from him, for a moment. _ If you're going to let him go, you can't become more attached, he isn't yours _

The little one looked so shocked and hurt by her action as his optics became misty and his lips quivered as he chirped sadly. What was wrong? Why didn't she want him anymore?

"Oh, I'm sorry, little guy!" She dove in, sweeping him up in her arms and cradling him to her chest, the last thing she wanted was for him to feel sad; last thing she wanted, she tried to deny, was let him go. "It's not that I don't want you, believe me I do, I just don't know if we can keep you….we'll have to give up so much. I don't think we could give up being Wreckers, they're all like our family, too….why is this so hard—?"

She suddenly heard a small yawn and she looked down and saw he had fallen asleep, so she laid him back down in the berth. She, for no reason at all, bent down to kiss the top of his helm.

_ He needs a name, _She immediately thought afterward. “You know what, I think I'm going to name you Nitrobolt. You look like a Nitrobolt to me.”

He sleepily babbled back a reply, fully falling deep into recharge.

She realized what she had done moments later and she groaned, "I'm really not letting you go now."

Onyx soon returned later with Bumblebee. They made a report on their findings before grabbing a cube and going their separate ways, Bumblebee to hang out with the other younglings and Onyx to find Nightshade and that little sparkling they'd found.

He found both of them in the quarters adjacent to the medbay. Currently, Nightshade was seated on the berth, watching over the little sparkling as he slept.

“Nightshade?” He sat down next to her and she looked at him. “How's the little guy?”

“Nitrobolt's perfectly fine,” She whispered. "But I think I messed up."

"You named him!?” Onyx exclaimed. “We can't get attached to him, Nightey. It's not like we can keep him.”

“Who says we can't?”

He sighed. “One, we're Wreckers—”

“Okay, I can see why that's a problem but have you considered Ratchet could watch him every time we go back?”

“—second, we're too young for kids, we can't take care of him.”

She frowned, “We've been growing up in a war and have fought in said war for centuries, I think we can handle a baby….plus we're not too young. We're practically adults both age and maturity wise. We've only got about year until then.”

"Fair enough, but you can't make decisions like this without me—!"

They were interrupted by Nitrobolt softly sobbing. They quickly looked at him to see what was the matter to find he was still sleeping, it was likely he was having a nightmare. Before Nightshade could do anything, Onyx reached down and stroked the top of his helm to help calm him, his sobs subsiding.

"Denami said he used to do this to me when I had nightmares….I liked getting pet…." Onyx whispered.

Nightshade laughed softly, "You still do, love."

Suddenly, Nitrobolt's optics snapped opened. He looked at Nightshade, smiling as he did, and then his gaze landed on Onyx. He cocked his helm to the side and made a confused little noise. Then, after a minute or so of staring Onyx down, he rolled over and pushed himself to sit, he reaching out to him with a wide smile and gurgling happily.

"Looks like he already knows who you are," Nightshade remarked. "He was scared of Ratchet before I introduced him, but you….he's not scared of you."

Onyx scoffed, "Everyone's scared of Ratchet….but I can see what you're saying."

Nitrobolt chirped to grab his attention again, whining and babbling almost demandingly at the mech to pick him up. Onyx looked questioningly at Nightshade, almost unsure of what to do, but she only laughed at him. 

"Just pick him up already!" She said and Onyx, finally, reached down and picked him up. As soon as Nitrobolt was in his arms, he chirped happily as he buried himself in his chest.

Something happened in that short moment and he felt a twinge in his spark, a pull almost. He cradled the sparkling closer to his chest, raising a finger to stroke his little face and the little one grabbed it. 

_Oh no....Oh no....I'm in love._ Onyx chuckled to himself. "So….we're going to keep him?"

"What happened to being too young?"

"He's a very convincing baby. How can I say no to this face?" 

Nightshade squealed happily, pecking Onyx on the cheek and looking down at their new charge. They realized, then and there, how much he looked like them. For one thing, he had optics very similar to Nightshade's and, secondly, it was evident he'd grow a pair fangs like Onyx later.

He was, uncannily, a perfect blend of them both. He could easily pass of as their own flesh and circuits. 

_Strange, _they almost gaped before gazing down softly at their new son.

"Nitrobolt," they began and the sparkling looked at them with his bright, beautiful optics, "we're going to be your new creators, okay? We swear we're going to protect and love you till the very end and back again. Forever."

Nitrobolt blinked at them. They said love. They love him. Love. He loves them. They felt so nice and warm. They made him feel so safe. Just like sire did. They could be his new creators. He belonged with them. He could feel it.

He let out a long, joyful chirrup before he suddenly felt tired again and he began to fall back asleep in Onyx's arms. Meanwhile, they sang to him very softly, "_Hush little sparkling, don't say a word...."_


End file.
